PHILADELPHIA – The reasons for missing the previous three weeks of organized team activities were about as different for left tackle Jason Peters and defensive end Marcus Smith as their standing on the team.

But they were still somewhat surprising. Peters, who's 35, and entering his 14th season, admitted that he wanted some extra rest. That is understandable since the Eagles have long stated that they want Peters to be fresh for the season.

Peters also said his contract had something to do with it. He intimated that he wants at least some portion of his contract guaranteed for 2018. As it stands now, Peters is due to make $10 million next season, the final year of his contract. But the Eagles can release him without owing him anything.

The Eagles could have done that this season, too, but they decided to bring Peters back at his current salary of $10.5 million.

"I don't want to go anywhere," Peters said. "I want to be an Eagle, retire here, make this home ... I just know I don't want to worry about it every year, being up and down, if I'm in or out."

Smith, the Eagles' first-round pick in 2014, is clearly in jeopardy of being released. But Smith, a defensive end, said that had nothing to do with his absence. He also said he doesn't resent the fact that the Eagles drafted Derek Barnett in the first round to play his position and signed free agent Chris Long, thereby pushing him further down the depth chart.

Smith was with the third unit in practice Tuesday, the first of a three-day mandatory minicamp.

So why did Smith stay away?

"Wasn’t a reason," he said. "It was voluntary. I just stayed at home and trained."

Smith said he watched video of the OTAs on his iPad while working out with a personal trainer in Maryland. He said he showed up at his usual playing weight of 255 pounds, and sees himself as a starter. Smith, however, has never started a game in three seasons, nor played more than 21 percent of the snaps in any season.

As for the arrival of Barnett and Long, Smith said: "You can’t look at it as being disheartening. It’s the business side of it. It’s the Eagles doing what’s best for the organization. You just have to come in and compete and play every day. That’s what you have to do."

But Smith's days as an Eagle could end early in training camp, which means that he might have missed valuable time to make a final impression by skipping the OTAs. Smith is due to receive a roster bonus of $594,000 if he's still on the team on the third day of training camp, which for the Eagles is July 29.

The Eagles have already indicated that his spot might be precarious by not picking up his fifth-year option for 2018, a move that Smith said he expected.

"I knew they weren’t going to pick it up," Smith said. "It’s obvious that wasn’t happening. I haven’t really played that much in three years, so it wouldn’t be smart as a business or Eagles organization to pick it up."

Eagles coach Doug Pederson made it seem like Smith wasn't terribly missed when he was asked what his return meant for practice on a sweltering day.

"The only thing it did really was give us more of a three-deep rotation at practice today with Marcus back, and then obviously with Jason back," Pederson said. "Given the fact that we had a full complement of guys, it gives us a little more depth and more rotation and more bodies to practice."

As for Peters' return, Pederson said: "He's the least of my worries. He really is. He's going to get himself ready to go mentally and physically, and it's just exciting to get him out here."

Smith's teammates didn't hold his absence against him.

"As long as they come in and work hard, that’s all that matters," fellow defensive end Brandon Graham said. "With him, it looks like he’s in good shape, really. When you’re out there with us, just make sure you work hard and don’t set us back."

Wing tips

Punter Donnie Jones also returned after missing OTAs ... WR Jordan Matthews continued to sit out practice with knee tendinitis. He didn't practice the previous two weeks ... Pederson admitted that he contacted Jeremy Maclin last weekend about possibly signing with the team. Maclin, the former Eagles wide receiver recently released by Kansas City, signed with the Baltimore Ravens instead ... Backup QB Nick Foles was excused from practice to be with his wife, who's expecting to give birth. The Eagles brought in former Tulsa QB Dane Evans on a tryout basis. Ex-Villanova LB Austin Calitro was trying out.